Coin-controlled liquid-vending machine



Dec. 22 1925- 1,566,446

M. T. TANNER $018 I)II1.IIM.J.J"JDv LIQUID VBNDING IACHINE Filed Oct.28, 1.924 2 Sheets-Shen 1 :monos (n. r. TANNER g comcomonnsn Lfoy'xpminne@ nenni;

rma our. z8. 1924 2 shun-sun: 'a

Patented Dec. 22, 1925i.

UNITED STATES MATTHIAS T.VTAIll'lI'IjIRV,v OF RllCH SQUARE, NORTHCAROLINA.

coIN-'ooN'rRoLLED LIQUID-veniamo MACHINE.

Application filed October 28, 1924. Serial No. `746,389.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS THOMAS TANNEP., a citizen of the UnitedStates, re-

siding at Rich Square, in the county of Northampton and State of NorthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoin-Controlled Liquid- Vending Machines, of, which the following is aspecification. v'

This invention relates to improvements in coin controlled liquid vendingmachines, and has for its principal objectto provide a simple andefficient means whereby the liquid dispensed from the pump may beobtained by the insertion of the proper coin, Without necessitating theloss of any considerable length of time or labor.

ne of the important objects of the pres ent invention is to provide acoin controlled liquid vending machine for use principally in thevending of gasoline, whereby the employment of an attendant iseliminated, the liquid being adapted to be obtained by the purchaserupon the deposit of-the proper coin in the machine, the 'amount ofgasoline which is dispensed depending upon the denomination of the coininserted.

A further object of the invention is to.

coin controlled liquid vending vmachine of the above mentionedcharacter, wherein means is provided for preventing or enabling thedispensing apparatus to be operated, without thenecessity of depositingva coin, a device of this character being especially adapted for use ingarages whereat` tendants are employed during the day, `to take care ofthe gasoline vending machines.

Other objects 'and advantagesfof `this inl vention will become apparentduring the course ef the following description.

In the @e9-miennes drawing forming a part of this specification, and inVwhich like numerals designate like parts throughout the' same:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation,-

and partlyin'section of a gasolinedispensing apparatus, showing myinvention associated therewith. j

Figure 2`is afront elevation of the casing` and plunger mounted therein,with the cover plate for the casing removed.

Figure 3 1s a vertical sectional view v through the casing and covershowing the plunger in side elevation.`

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlargedrear elevation of the plunger and thepump rod engaging means.

Figure y5 is a Adetail perspective View, of

the forked lever.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the locking pawls..

vFigure 7 is a detail view of the upper portion of the pump rod, and

Figure 8 isl a sectional view, taken approximately on the line 8-8ofFigure 2.

In the drawings, l wherein for the purpose ofillustration is shownfthepreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral l designates generallya gasoline dispensing pump of the well known constructiom and a pump rodlthereof is designated by the numeral 2. The upper portion of the pumprod is provided with a series of notches 3, the construction ofy whichis Vmore clearly illustrated in Figure 7 of thel drawings. Arrangedwithin the pump 1 is the stationaryy casing 4, the front face thereofbeing 4open and adapted toy be covered by the cover plate y5. The lowerportion of the casing is adapted to extend over the upper notched end ofthe pump rod 2, as is clearly illustrated in FigureiS.

Adapt-ed .for reciprocatory movement within the casing 4, is the plunger6, the lower `portion thereof vbeing cut away as illustrated at 7,forthe purposes hereinafter to be morefullydescribed.l The rear face of theplunger 6 is provided with the rack teeth 8, the same being arrangedbetweenv the reduced portion of the plunger and theY upper end thereof.-A pinion9 mounted on ing the plunger, Yand the Vshaft 10VV extendslaterally of the outer casing ofthe pumps.

and has mounted on the outer end thereofl 'the ,transversev shaft 10rmeshes with' the o' rack teeth 8, for "the'purpose of reciprocat-V theclutch 11. An operating handle 12 is loosely supported on the outer endof the shaft 10 and carries thereon the clutch 13 for engagement withthe clutch 11, whereby the shaft 10 may be rotated for causing theplunger to be raised upwardly within the casing 4, when the liquid isbeing dispensed from the pump.

Supported on the reduced lower portion 7 of the plunger 6 is the Jforkshaped lever designated generally at 14, in Figure 5 of the drawings.The arms 15 and 16 of the fork shaped lever are disposed on the oppositesides of the reduced portion 7 of the plunger 6, and the upper ends ofthese arms are provided with upwardly disposed and forwardly inclinedextensions, such as are shown at 17 and l18 respectively in thedrawings. rhese extensions attord a means for pivotally supporting thefork shaped levers on the reduced portion 11, by providing the openings19 in the extensions, for re ceiving the pivotal supportingpins 20.

The front face of the plunger 6 is also cut away as is illustrated at21, and the purpose of this construction will be presently described.The upper portions of the extensions 17 and 18 have their forward edges22 yand 23 4substantially parallel with the front cut away tace 21 ofthe plunger 6, as is clearly illustrated in Figure The shank portion 24of the `fork shaped lever 14 is provide-d on its forward edge with therack teeth 25, the same being adapted to come into locking engagementwith the notches 3 formed in the upper end of the pump rod 2. The lowerportion of the casing 4 is provided on its inner rear wall with theabutment or cam 26 for cooperation with the rear edge of the shank 24 ofthe fork shaped lever, whereby the rack teeth are interloclred inengagement with the notches 3 in the upper end of the pump rod 2, whenthe plunger is in its lower-most position within the casing, as isillustrated in Figure 3.

For the purpose of normally holding the fork shaped lever out ofinterloclred engagement with the upper end of the pump rod, so that theliquid in the pump will be prevented from being dispensed therefrom, thespring element 27 is secured to the opposite side faces of the reducedportion 7 oi the plungerl G and engages the rear edges ot' the upperportions of the extensions 17 and 18. The cut away face 21 arranged inthe front of the lower portion oitV the plunger 6 provides a channelbetween the lower portion of the plunger and the cover plate 5 of thecasing, for receiving a coin of a predetermined denomination, whichisdeposited therein through the coin. chute 28, the latter being inclinedupwardly and extending into an opening provided in the outer casieeef.the pump ,.1-

The inner face of the cover plate 1 is provided with the rack teeth 29and cooperating therewith are the pivoted pawls 30 and 31 respectively,the same being swivelly supported at their upper ends on the pins 20which support the lever 14. Each of the pawls is provided with alaterally extending projection or pin 32, which is adapted forcooperation with a slot 33 provided in each ot the extensions of thearms of the forl shaped members. A spring, such as is shown at 34 isassociated with the lower free end of each of the pawls and the adjacentarni of the fork shaped lever for normally urging the pawls intoengagement with the ratchet teeth 29, formed on the inner tace ot thecover plate The purpose of the provision of the pawl and ratchetarrangement will also be hereinafter more ltully described.

A ledge or shoulner 34 is formed on the :front face of the cut awayportion of the plunger 6, for receiving and supporting the coins whenthe same has been deposited into the space between the front portion ofthe plunger and the cover plate as is clearly illustrated in Figure 2.in opening 35 is formed in the cover plate 5 adjacent the coin seat 34,for the purpose of enabling` coins of a denomination less than thatnecessary to operate the device may be discharged, each spring 35 beingarranged in a suitable pocket 37 formed in;v the front face of theplunger 6 to facilitate the forcing of the improper coin or slugV outthrough the opening The upper portion of the cover plate ot the casinghas provided therein, in a predetermined position, the opening 38, thepurpose of which will be presently apparent.

lVhen a locking screw 39 is threaded through a suitable opening providedtherefor in the lower portion 7 of the plunger` 6 and engages thenotched upper end oi the pump rod 2 in the manner as shown in Figure 8.The rack teeth 25 of the shank 24 of the lever 14 will. at all times beneld in locked engagement with the notched up per end of the pump rodand by operating the handle 12, the pinion 9 will engage the rack teeth8 of the plunger 6, and enable the saine to be raised upwardly in thecasing 4, thereby enabling a. person to obte. a predetermined quantityof gasoline. Vily disengaging the clutch 1B :from the clutch 11, theweight of the plunger will cause the same to return to its normalposition, together with the return of the pump rod. and againY enablethe pump rods to be raised when the clutch elements are in engagement.with each other for further dispensing gasoline. The locking screw 89 isemployed, only when an attendant for the vending-inachine operates thesame, and no coin is necessary, vbut when there is no attendant for themachine, the screw 39 is removed from vengagement with the upper end ofthe pump rod.

The operation of the vending machine after the screw 39 has beenremoved, may be briefly stated as follows: A coin f the properdenomination is inserted in the coin chute 2S, where by gravity the samewill fall between the front cut away space 21 of the lower portion ofthe plunger and the cover plate 5, until the same is supported on theseat 34 and in .cngagementwith the forward edges lof the upper portionsof the extensions of the arms of the fork shaped lever 14. This locksthe rack teeth and the shank of the fork shaped 4lever into engagementwith the notched upper end of the pump rod, and by operating the shaftin the manner as above set forth, the plunger is raised inthe casingsimultaneously raising the pump rod 2 laterally therein to cause thedispensing of the gasoline from the pump. Las soon as the coin reachesthe opening 38, a spring 27 will urge the upper end of the extensions onthe'arms of the fork shaped lever, causing the coin to be discharged outthrough the opening 38, and deposited into the outer casing` of thepump.

its soon as the upper forward edges of the extensions are out ofengagement with the coin, due to the action of the springs 27, theratchet teeth on the shank 24 will be moved out of engagement with thepump rod, causing the latter' to return to its normal position and bygravity the plunger will also return to its normal position within thelower portion of the casing.

The cam 26 formed on the inner face of the rea-r wall of the casing willforce the rack teeth of the shank 24 of the lever 14 Ainto engagementwith the notched upper end of the pump rod. so that the latter may beagain operated when the proper coin is inserted. rI`he amount ofgasoline which is dispensed from the pump depends upon the location ofthe openings 38 in the upper portion of the cover' plate 5 and thelocation of the opening in the cover plate de'- pends upon thedenomination of the coin which is to be inserted. Thus, if acoin of alarge denomination is inserted, the opening in the cover plate willnaturally be in the cover Vplate adjacent the upper end thereof, whileshould a coin of small denomination be deposited, the opening in thecover plate would necessarily be inthe intermediate yportion Vef thecover plate. Therefore, the cover pl'atemay be removed from the casing,and interchanged, depending upon the value ofthe liquidV contents whichare te be sold. f

The provision of the pawl and ratchet arrangement will prevent ranypossibility of the opening inthe cover plate, permit-y ting the same tobe discharged from the coin seat 84, so as not to interfere with theproper operation ofthe dispensing apparatus.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description,that alcoincontrolled liquid dispensing apparatus has been provided, which willsave considerable time and labor, and will enable the purchaserto obtainhis own tendant of the gasoline vending apparatus to serve him.

Furthermore, the simplicity in which the present device is constructedenables the same to be easily and efficiently operated.v

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit yof theinvention and the scope of the appended claims. l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with the pump rod of a liquid vending machine, acasing.l a plunger adapted to reciprocate therein, a fork shaped leverpivotally supported on the lowerend of the plunger, means associatedwith the lower portion of the fork shaped leverl adapted for-interlocking engagement with the upper end of the pump rod, means inthe casing for moving the aforementioned means into locked engagementwith the pump rod, coin engaging means for holding the. lever in lockedengagement with the pump rod, means for operating the plunger, andmeansV for facilitating the releasing of the lever from engagement withsaid plunger upon the plunger reaching a predetermined position. ,v

2. In combination with the pump rod of a liquid vending machine, acasing, a plunger adapted for reciprocatory movement. in the casing, alever pivotally mounted on the lower end of the plunger, means formoving the lever' into locked engagement with the pump rod, a coincontrolled device for holdring the-means in an engaged 'posit-ion,meansy for normally holding the lever out of locked` engagement with thepump rod, and means for actuating the plunger.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

MATTHIAS T. TANNER.

gasoline, without having to wait for the at

